Cunjevoi

Pyura stolonifera

These solitary, upright species grow to about 150 mm or more in height, and belong to the class of sea squirts (ascidians) within the Phylum Chordata (have a hollow dorsal nerve chord) which includes humans! Cunjevoi have apertures on top of short siphons close together on the upper surface of their bodies, surrounded by a rounded ridge composed of the thick, tough and leathery outer coat (test). Cunjevoi form a characteristic band of crowded individuals cemented to rocks, and to one another, in the low intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of the rocky shore, and can also anchor themselves into softer sediments using root-like projections. Clumps are often flung onto beaches after storms, resembling dried out leather boots. Anglers frequently use Cunjevoi for bait, cutting out the soft orange inner body.

They are found throughout southern Australia extending north to Double Island Point, Queensland.

Cunjevoi (Pyura stolonifera), Wild Guide to Moreton Bay

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